Right To Play joins organizations across the country to #GoForTheGoals during International Development Week

Have you ever played Thumb Catch? It's a fun and surprisingly challenging collaborative game that puts players' listening skills and reflexes to the test.

On Friday, February 7, Deputy Minister of International Development Leslie MacLean, Olympic sprinter and Right To Play ambassador Kimberly Hyacinthe, representatives from Global Affairs Canada and several NGOs, and Right To Play CEO Kevin Frey joined several dozen students in a rousing game of Thumb Catch led by our own Sally Hakim to celebrate the power play has to unite people and empower youth to be leaders in their communities.

The occasion was the 30th anniversary of International Development Week, an annual event that engages Canadians on global issues and what it means to be a global citizen. The theme of this year's event was #GoForTheGoals, a nod to the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals which, together, create a road map for how we can build a healthier and more inclusive world by 2030. Across the country, civil society organizations, students, teachers, and individuals joined in online to share what they're doing to #GoForTheGoals in their own lives and communities.

As a partner of Global Affairs Canada, Right To Play was proud to be invited to participate in the live event along with the Canadian Council for International Cooperation, provincial and regional councils for international cooperation, WE Charity, and other organizations. The powerful stories that were shared at the event — of youth working together to build gender equality, to push for sustainability, to fight for an end to poverty — resonated strongly with everyone in the room and watching live on Facebook. They were a testament to what we mean when we talk about global citizenship, and of the incredible power and energy youth are and will continue to bring to addressing some of the most pressing issues of our time.